Break away purse

ABSTRACT

A pocket book having a detachable inner purse which is released through a movable bottom door in the pocket book when it is pulled hard. The purse has a closable top opening and a chain normally connected with the user to keep its contents secure so as to be snatch-proof.

United States Patent [191 Gist [ May 6, 1975 BREAK AWAY PURSE [76] Inventor: Juanita V. Gist, 11605 S. Avalon Blvd, No. D, Los Angeles, Calif. 90061 Filed: Apr. 5, 1974 1 App]. No.: 454,441

[52] US. Cl 150/33; 24/3 A; 150/28 R; 150/47; 224/28 A [51] Int. Cl. A45c 13/20 [58] Field of Search 150/47, 33, 28 R; 190/61; 224/5 Q, 26 R, 26 D, 28 A, 28 B; 24/3 A, 3

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,570,851 10/1951 Peyser 150/28 R 1-/l957 Klimkiewicz 150/47 X 4/1973 Landis 150/47 X Primary ExaminerDonald F. Norton [57 ABSTRACT A pocket book having a detachable inner purse which is released through a movable bottom door in the pocket book when it is pulled hard. The purse has a closable top opening and a chain normally connected with the user to keep its contents secure so as to be snatch-proof.

10 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PHENTEUI SHEET 18F '2 mumm ems 31881 ,534

SHEET 2 OF 2 1 BREAK AWAY PURSE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A growing problem in this day and age is the thefts which continue to plague women who normally carry pocketbooks loosely in their hands or over their shoulder while walking. Such a practice has given rise to a continuous risk of purse snatching thieves who quickly run by grabbing the pocket book and its valuable contents.

Various alarm and locking devices have been developed to foil this menacing problem, but these have generally been unsatisfactory because of clumsiness, expense or other defects.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a pocket book embodying this invention of the type wherein the top opening is closed by a flap.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the pocket book as in FIG. 1 showing an inner portion purse separated through an opening in the outer portion of the pocket book.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view cut through 3-3 in FIG. 1 showing the attachment of the inner and outer portions of the pocket book before separation.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view as in FIG. 3 showing the inner purse partly separated from the outer portion of the pocket book.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detailed fragmented sectional view of a part of a side of the inner purse.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the bottom of the purse taken in the plane of 6-6 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of a modification of the pocket book previously shown wherein the top of it is closed with a zipper.

FIG. 8 shows the separation of the inner purse from the outer portion pocket book as in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of another modified form of this invention wherein the purse is the pouch type.

FIG. 10 shows the separation of the inner purse from the outer portion pocket book of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring first to the form shown in FIGS. 1 through 6 of the drawings, this invention embodies a conventional looking ladies pocket book, the outer portion 20 of which is formed with a top flap 22 secured closed by a tab 24 with a latch 25 which slides through a mating flattened loop 26. A handle 28 is attached to the top of the pocket book for carrying it in a conventional fashion.

The bottom of the pocket book is provided with an openable floor comprised of a pair of full-length overlapping flaps 30 and 32 normally secured closed by releasable snap-type fasteners 33 of which the numerous interlocking small plastic hooks of the Velcro type is preferred.

Matingly fitting within the pocket book outer portion 20 is a receptacle portion inner purse 34 which is releasably secured by fasteners 36 at its upper edges to inner wall of the pocket book. Preferably the fasteners 36 are of the Velcro type, as previously mentioned, and extend in a strip around the upper periphery of the purse 34 so as to mate with a similar inner peripheral strip inside the pocket book outer portion 20, so as to 2 hold the purse 34 inside the pocket book as shown in FIG. 3.

The inner purse 34 is formed with a closable top opening formed by a pair of overlapping normally closed resilient leaf sections 37 and 38. The bottom of the purse is closed and includes a floor plate 40 to which is securely attached a strong cord 42 or chain, preferably decorative. In turn, the cord 42 extends in length at least the distance from the top of the handle 28 to the center bottom of the pocket book and has attached at its free end a ring shaped bracelet 44 suitable for wearing on a womans wrist.

In use, the pocket book appears to be conventional as shown in FIG. 1. The user slides the bracelet 44 onto her wrist and holds the handle 28 with the same hand. In order to obtain or secure items in the pocket book, she lifts the flap 24 and reaches into the inner purse 34, thereby, opening the flaps 37 and 38 which snap closed when her hand is withdrawn.

Should a thief try to steal the pocket book by grabbing it from the owner, the outer portion 20 of the pocket book will separate from the inner purse 34 because of the pressured release between mating Velcro fasteners 36. That is, as the thief pulls on the pocket book, attempting to escape with it, the cord 42 is pulled tight as its free end is secured to the owners wrist by bracelet 44 and its other end is attached to the floor plate 40 of the inner purse 34. This causes the detachment of the Velcro fasteners 36 and the pushing of the inner purse floor 40 against the floor flaps 30 and 32 of the pocket book, thereby, resulting in the detachment of the releasable fasteners 33 and the opening of the bottom of the pocket book. The inner purse 34, as shown in FIG. 4, will then slide out of the pocket book and become completely separated as shown in FIG. 2. Thus, the thief will run away with the empty outer portion 20 of the pocket book. Meanwhile, the owner will still be left with the inner purse 34 attached to her wrist by bracelet 44 through cord 42 and its contents will be secured within it because of the mormally closed top flaps 37 and 38.

Another form of this invention is adapted for use with a different style pocket book as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. Here, the inner purse 50 is closed by a top zipper 52 and has its upper portion extending up through the top of the outer portion 54 of the pocket book within which it slidably fits. The inner purse 50 and the pocket book outer portion 54 are secured together by releasable fasteners 56 and 58, respectively, which preferably take the form of mating peripherally encircling strips of the Velcro type. The bottom of the outer portion 50 has releasably opening flaps 60 and 62 normally secured closed by Velcro type fasteners 64 and 66.

The pocket book is provided with conventional handles and 72 attached to the upper part of the outer portion 54 of the pocket book. A cord or chain 74 is attached to the bottom of the inner purse S0 and extends out to its free end which is attached to a wrist bracelet 76. The use and function of the pocket book to avoid theft are substantially as previously described.

Still another form of this invention is shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 wherein the style of the pocket book is pouchlike. Here, the inner purse is secured within the outer portion 82 of the matching pocket book by means of an upper circumferential mating strip of Velcro releasable type fastener 84. The pocket book has handles 86 and 88 which also serve to close the top of string 94 extends from the central hole 96 out to the edge of bottom plate 90, up the side of the inner purse 80 and encircles the top opening 98 of the inner purse 80 by alternately threading through folded adjacent portions of the material forming the top opening 98. Thus, when a thief grabs this pocket book in addition to separating the inner purse 80 as previously described; the drawstring 94 is also thereby pulled so as to automatically cause the upper encircling portion to close the top opening 98.

Though several specific embodiments of this invention are shown and described, this'is not meant as a limitation of the inventive concept therein.

For instance, floor plate 40 of the purse, best shown in FIG. 6, may be a stiff piece of material or made rigid by wires 100 and 102 which cross in the center of the floor plate 40. Again, the generally rectangular shape of the floor plate 40 might be slimmed to the width of a single rigid wire, in the case of a slim envelope style purse, without departing from this invention.

Accordingly, other modifications in shape, size and form may be made which are intended to be covered by this invention, so long as they are comprehended by the spirit of the following appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A pocket book having an outer portion with an openabletop and bottom, a purse detachable secured to said outer portion, an elongated cord attached to said inner purse with a wrist bracelet on its free end wherein said purse is secured tightly enough to said outer portion to be used as an integral pocket book but upon extraordinary pulling said inner purse will be come released from said outer portion.

2. A pocket book as defined in claim 1 wherein said outer portion is provided with normally closed bottom flaps covering an opening larger than said purse which is normally inside and said flaps are released when said inner purse is pulled hard against them.

3. A pocket book as defined in claim 2 wherein the top of said purse has an opening which is normally closed by resiliently mounted flaps.

4. A pocket book as defined in claim 3 wherein the bottom element of said purse is rigid and said cord is fastened to the said bottom element and extends out through the bottom opening of said outer portion of the pocket book.

5. A pocket book as defined in claim 4 wherein said inner purse is releasably secured around its upper periphery to the inside of said outer portion of the pocket book.

6. A pocket book as defined in claim 5 wherein said inner purse is shaped to matingly conform to the adjacent inside surfaces of said outer portion of the pocket book.

7. A pocket book as defined in claim 6 wherein said openable top of said outer portion is closed by a releasable top flap and a handle is secured on the top of said top flap.

8. A pocket book as defined in claim 2 wherein the top of said inner purse protrudes up through the top opening in said outer portion.

9. A pocket book as defined in claim 1 wherein said purse near its top opening is made of flexible material, a closing string encircles said top opening and is adapted to close said opening when pulled tight, an extension of said closing string extends down the side of said purse and is attached to said elongated cord so as to be moved and pulled tight as said cord is pulled.

10. A pocket book as defined in claim 9 which takes the form of a pouch wherein the said purse is formed with a rigid bottom floor and said pocket book has handles extending from its top which encircles to close the top of said pocket book when pulled. 

1. A pocket book having an outer portion with an openable top and bottom, a purse detachable secured to said outer portion, an elongated cord attached to said inner purse with a wrist bracelet on its free end wherein said purse is secured tightly enough to said outer portion to be used as an integral pocket book but upon extraordinary pulling said inner purse will become released from said outer portion.
 2. A pocket book as defined in claim 1 wherein said outer portion is provided with normally closed bottom flaps covering an opening larger than said purse which is normally inside and said flaps are released when said inner purse is pulled hard against them.
 3. A pocket book as defined in claim 2 wherein the top of said purse has an opening which is normally closed by resiliently mounted flaps.
 4. A pocket book as defined in claim 3 wherein the bottom element of said purse is rigid and said cord is fastened to the said bottom element and extends out through the bottom opening of said outer portion of the pocket book.
 5. A pocket book as defined in claim 4 wherein said inner purse is releasably secured around its upper periphery to the inside of said outer portion of the pocket book.
 6. A pocket book as defined in claim 5 wherein said inner purse is shaped to matingly conform to the adjacent inside surfaces of said outer portion of the pocket book.
 7. A pocket book as defined in claim 6 wherein said openable top of said outer portion is closed by a releasable top flap and a handle is secured on the top of said top flap.
 8. A pocket book as defined in claim 2 wherein the top of said inner purse protrudes up through the top opening in said outer portion.
 9. A pocket book as defined in claim 1 wherein said purse near its top opening is made of flexible material, a closing string encircles said top opening and is adapted to close said opening when pulled tight, an extension of said closing string extends down the side of said purse and is attached to said elongated cord so as to be moved and pulled tight as said cord is pulled.
 10. A pocket book as defined in claim 9 which takes the form of a pouch wherein the said purse is formed with a rigid bottom floor and said pocket book has handles extending from its top which encircles to close the top of said pocket book when pulled. 